Method of making friction rings



y 1943 R. LAPSLEY ETAL 2,319,740

METHOD OF MAKING FRICTION RINGS 7 Filed Feb. 7, 1940 2 sheet s-sheet l j? zgenzozm 0 6/ 1 Donald 5.p ;CZ @MWZ MM 7 64% y 1943 R. LAPSLEY ETAL 2,319,740

' mmnon OF MAKING FRICTION runes Filed Feb. 7, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 18, 1943' METHOD OF MAKING FRICTION RINGS Robert Lapsley and Donald S. Dence, Berrien Springs, Micln, assignors to Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 7, 1940, Serial No. 317,658

7 Claims.

This invention relates to synchronizers, and

more particularly is directed to synchronizers for transmissions and the like involving friction cone rings and the method of manufacturing and assembling the same on synchronizer sleeves.

Heretofore, such rings have been formed from tubular stock which has been forged or otherwise shaped, and then the rings are pressed onto the receiving surfaces of the synchronizer sleeve. This has resulted in their cost being relatively high, and has also required relatively accurate fits in order to insure proper seating of the ring in the receiving recess of the sleeve.

The present invention contemplates reducing the cost of manufacture of the rings by forming them from metal blanks or strips which are cut to arcuate form and then rolled into proper form for insertion into the sleeve recesses. Such blanks or strips may be formed of a, suitable ring material such as bronze sheets, or may be formed from a bi-metallic or clad metal in which a layer of bearing material is bonded to a steel base surface. When the blanks are stamped out of the sheet they are in an arcuate form with the outer are being equivalent to the circumference of the larger end of the ring and the inner arc being equivalent to the circumference of the smaller end. The blanks may be provided with oil grooves all milled simultaneously by a multiple milling operation, while the blank is in a flat form whereby when the blank is rolled into conical form the grooves are slightly dove-tailed in shape providing sharp cutting edges for the lubricant film. The simultaneous milling of these grooves in a flat face of the blank insures that the groove will be of uniform depth and also that they will be disposed in angular relation to each other when the arcuate blank is bent into ring form. This is desirable since it is practically impossible to mill grooves of uniform depth from one edge of the ring to the other when it is in the shape of a frusto-conical section, such as when preformed rings are employed. Also, in order to mill oil grooves into a preformed conical ring, it is necessary that the ring be made much thicker since the milling at the small end will produce a much deeper groove than at the larger end, and to provide a groove of sufficient depth in the larger end it is necessary that the thickness of the stock be considerably increased. This is relatively expensive material, and consequently, the cost mounts rapidly when the thickness of the stock is increased. The present invention, therefore, enables the production of milled grooves of uniform depth in a stock of uniform thickness.

Another special advantage obtained is that by the use of a flat blank which is then bent into position, the bending operation produces a dovetail like section in the grooves, which it is impossible to produce by milling a preformed ring.

Another feature of the present invention is to simplify the blank construction so that it may be quickly and economically formed and placed in position. The means for securing the blank in position is particularly advantageous since it insures the ring from moving axially with respect to the seat on the synchronizer sleeve, which axial lock may be secured either by bending inwardly a small axially projecting lip on the outer end of the sleeve recess, or by bending the inner edge of the blank into the blocking recesses formed in the sleeve.

It may also be desirabl under certain conditions, such as where the angularity will not insure a tight press fit, to provide for interlocking the ring and the sleeve against relative circmnferential movement. This can be readily accomplished during the forming operation, since the outer circumferential edge of the flat blank may be notched during the stamping operation and such notches form interlocking keys when the lip is bent thereover. It is much more economical to notch out a flat blank during a stamping operation than to form notches in the periphery of a preformed conical ring since the stamping of the blank and of the notches can be produced simultaneously with the sam die. Thus, the locking means and the method of interlocking the ring with the synchronizer sleeve is of distinct advantage, and results in a much more economical construction than can be provided when a ring is formed from tubing or the like.

A still further feature of the present invention resides in the heat treating of the synchronizer sleeve in such manner that a relatively soft ductile lip is left after the machining operations which produce the tapered recess, whereby this lip can be readily bent over to lock the friction ring in position.

Thus, the synchronizer assembly may be de-'- signed so that the friction rings are interlocked, both axially and circumferentially, by relatively simple means insuring proper operation of the synchronizer in a transmission construction.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully from the foldisclose to those skilled in the art the particular construction and operation of a preferred fo of the present invention.

In the drawings:

Figur 1 is a sectional view through a portion oi. a transmission illustrating a synchronizer embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a detailed view of a portion of the end of a synchronizer sleeve showing the manner in which the friction ring recess is formed Figure 3 is a partial perspective view showing the friction ring in position;

Figure .4 is an end elevational' view of th synchronizer sleeve with the friction ring assembled therein; a

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view showing ring and sleeve;

Figure 6 illustrates the blank from which the friction ring is formed: and V Figure 'l is a sectional view through one type of material which may be used in making the friction ring.

Referring now in detail to Figure 1, a more or less conventional type of transmission structure is shown in which the transmission'case 5 has Journalied therein the shaft 5 by means of bearing I, the shaft 8 having an enlarged end 1' a modified manner of interlocking the frictions provided with the external gear teeth 8 adapted to mesh with the gear 9 keyed to the countershaft II. A second gear 12 on the countershaft I0 is adapted to have meshing engagement with a gear l3 rotatably Journalled as by the needle rollers l4 upon a shouldered-portion I! of a main transmission shaft it having its end I! piloted in the recessed end of the shaft 6 by means of the bearings ll. Intermediate the end I1 and shoulder ii of the shaft II the shaft is provided with a splined portion 20 upon whichis mounted the clutch sleeve 22, this sleeve having external clutch teeth II and 24 at opposite ends thereof and being provided intermediate its ends withradiaily extending finger portions 25 adapted to extend through suitable openings 26 formed in an enclosing synchronizer sleeve 21.

Each of the gears 8 and I3 are provided with internal clutch teeth 30 and 32, respectively,

adapted to be selectively engaged by the clutch sleeve 22 upon axial shifting movement thereof along the shaft portion 20.

Disposed radially outwardly of the clutch teet 30 and 32, the gears 8 and ii are provided with frusto-conical surfaces 33 and, respectively, adapted to be engaged by friction rings 35 and 36, respectively, carried by the synchronizer sleeve 21.

The main elements of the synchronizer construction, insofar as its blocking action and cooperativ relation between the sleeve and clutch portions is concerned, is disclosed in detail in the copending application of Leo A. Bixby and Robert Lapsley, Serial No. 298,391, filed October 7, 1939.

The present invention more particularly is concerned with the manner in which the rings 35 and I are formed and the means by which they are secured. within the frusto-conical recesses in the ends of the sleeve 21.

Considering these features of the invention in Figure 2. This materialis removed at the ends of the sleeve along the dotted line indicated surface 43 is of the same angled inclination as the surfaces it and 34 of the gears t and II, but is radially enlarged so as to provide for the introduction of the friction ring carried by the syn chronizer sleeve and adapted, upon initial movement of the clutch yoke 3| shown in Flgue 1, to bear against-the respective surfaces 33 and 14 to bring the selected gear and clutch to substantially synchronous relationship before the final 4 clutching movement. whereby the clutch sleeve 22 is moved into meshing engagement with the associated gear,

The friction ring ll adapted to be received on the surface 43 is preferably formed from fiat plate, such as brnonze sheets or the like, or it may be formed from clad material such as shown in Figure 7 in which the base 52 is formed of mild steel, for example, and has a layer of bearing material 53 bonded thereto to form an integral ference of the larger and of the cone ring and having inner arcs equivalent to the inner circumference of the cone'ring. Such blanks are subjected while in the flat form to a multiple milling operation which provides a plurality of parallel grooves 55 in the face portion thereof, which grooves are preferably rectangular in section so that when the blank 50 has been'rolled into conical form the defining edges of the groove, as shown clearly in Figure 3, present sharp cutting edges for cutting the oil film present on the surfaces 33 and 34 of the gears. The stamping is accurately cut to length so that when rolled into conical form the two ends abut in tight engagemerit, providing a ring when once pressed into the tapered recess 43. This ring is pressed along the tapered seat until a tight press fit is obtained, the dimensions being controlled so that th ring at no time moves inwardly into engagement with the radial shoulder 45. When the ring has thus been pressed into position, the outer end of the axial lip 44 is spun radially inwardly over the outer end or large diameter end of the ring, as shown at in Figure 1, thereby locking the ring against outward axial displacement.

Depending upon the angularity desired on the friction surfaces, it may be desired in some cases to provide a circumferential interlocking between the ring and the synchronizer sleeve as well as the axial lock. For such purposes, the blank 50 shown in Figure 6 may be stamped with spaced notches 62 formed in the large diameter edge thereof, which notches thereby are disposed at the larger end of the frusto-conical ring when pressed into position. The. swaging or pressing operation which bends over the lip 44 into engagement around the outer end of the ring 50' may then also provide for indentation of the lip into the notches 62 as shown at 63 in Figure 3,

thereby providing a circumferential interlock preventing relative circumferential displacement between the ring and the synchronizer sleeve. Such a construction is shown in end elevation with portions broken away in Figure 4, and it will be at once apparent that with such a construction, both axial and circumferential movement of the ring relative to the synchronizer sleeve is prevented.

An optional method of locking the ring 50 in position on the synchronizer sleeve 21 is illustrated in Figure 5, in which it will be noted that under-cut grooves 10 are provided in th internal surface of the synchronizer sleeve adjacent the finger openings 26. The inner or small end of the ring 50 in this form of the invention is bent into such grooves which extend circumferentially between the openings 26, and at the openings the inner end of the ring is bent inwardly as shown at 12 to provide the circumferential interlock, the axial interlock being provided by the radially inwardly bent portions 13 intennediate the openings 26. Thus, in this form of the'invention, the same type of axial and circumferential interlock is produced, but the inner end of the ring is employed for this purpose in place of the outer end of the ring. This eliminates th necessity for the machining operations to cut off the excess materials along the dotted line 42 of Figure 2 as the synchronizer sleeve may be carburized and no further machining except for the surface 43 need be provided.

If desired, the modification shown in Figure 5 can be varied, for the sake of economy, by eliminating the undercut groove and merely bending the lip or edge 12 radially outwardly over the defining ends of openings 26 to hold the ring 50 against axial outward displacement. In such case, the abutment of the bent lips 12 against the side walls of the openings 26 will hold the ring against circumferential displacement.

It is therefore believed apparent that we have provided a novel method of forming the friction rings from flat material and simultaneously providing the proper dimensional relationships and interlocking notches in the blanks in a single stamping operation. Such rings when produced are the equivalent of the forged rings previously employed, and have the advantage of greatly reduced cost of manufacture as well as facilitating the formation of the oil grooves therein.

In addition, it will be apparent that the novel type of means for locking the rings in position relative to the synchronizer sleeves is of great advantage in cases where either axial locking is required or where both axial and circumferential locking of the ring to the sleeve is necessary.

ing simultaneously a plurality of rectangular section grooves in the bearing material face of said blank, and bending said blank into a frustoconical ring with said face forming the internal surface, said grooves being distorted into dovetail section by said bending to provide sharp lubricant cutting edges.

2. In the method of forming a transmission synchronizer sleeve having a conical seat at one end thereof for receiving a friction cone ring, the novel steps which comprise, providing a sheet of metallic bearing material, stamping out an arcuat blank from said sheet having one peripheral arcuate edge provided with spaced notches, bending said blank into a frusto-conical ring, and pressing said ring into position on said seat.

3. The method of claim 2 further characterized in that said notches are formed in the larger peripheral edge of said ring.

4. The method of making a friction cone ring for insertion into position on a conical seat at the end of a synchronizer sleeve, which comprises stamping an arcuate blank from a sheet of ring material, milling a plurality of parallel trans- I verse grooves of rectangular section into one face of said blank, bending said blank axially relative to said grooves into frusto-conical form whereby said grooves become of dove-tail section on the inner face of said ring, and then pressing said ring into position on said seat.

5. In the method of forming a transmission synchronizer sleeve having a conical seat at one end thereof for receiving a friction cone ring, the novel steps which comprise stamping an arcuate blank out of a sheet of ring material, milling a plurality of channel like grooves of uniform depth transversely in one face of said blank, bending said blank into frusto-conical form with said grooves arranged axially on the inner face thereof, and pressing said ring into position on said seat, said bending distorting said grooves into dove-tail like section to provide sharp lubricant film cutting edges.

6. In the method of claim 5, the furthersteps of forming notches in the larger peripheral edge of said blank during said stamping operation, and interlocking a portion of said sleeve in said notches after pressing said ring in position on said seat to lock said ring against relative axial or circumferential movement on said seat.

'7. In th method of making a. frusto-conical friction ring for insertion onto a conical seat formed at one end of a synchronizer sleeve, the novel steps which comprise, stamping out an arcuate blank from metallic bearing material, milling a plurality of parallel grooves of uniform depth transversely in one face of said blank, rolling said blank into frusto-conical ring form with said grooves contracted on the inner face thereof, and pressing said ring into position on said seat.

ROBERT LAPSLEY. DONALD S. DENCE. 

